The present invention relates to a wagering solitaire game.
The game of solitaire has provided entertainment and relaxation for multitudes of individuals when played either as a game with a deck of cards or as a video game. The video game of solitaire is typically played by manipulating images of cards displayed on a personal computer.
The popularity of each of the solitaire card game and the video solitaire card game is due to a one-on-one interaction that individuals have with either the cards directly or with an image of the cards on a video screen of the personal computer. People do not usually compete with other people in solitaire but work with a particular hand of cards to achieve a desired result. Typically for a solitaire game, the most sought after result is to turn over all of the cards and arrange the cards in order of color and rank. To accomplish this task is to win the game. For another type of solitaire game, the winner must turn up and remove all cards from a tableau. Removal of cards is based upon rules specific for each solitaire game.
The card game of solitaire and the game of video solitaire are games requiring luck and skill. To win a game of one type of solitaire, Klondike solitaire, a player must turn over all cards, other than a joker, of a deck and must order the cards according to rank and color. For another type of solitaire, Pyramid solitaire, the player may remove cards from a tableau if the cards are kings and if the cards, in pairs, total thirteen. To win Pyramid solitaire, the player must remove all of the cards.
The deck of cards may be shuffled to an order that prevents the player from winning. Alternately, cards may be shuffled to an order that permits the player to win, provided the player is attentive and skilled. Manually shuffling the deck of cards introduces elements of randomness and luck into the game of solitaire.
For a conventional video solitaire game, a computer shuffles the cards according to a conventional random card shuffling algorithm. This type of video solitaire game does not include an adjustment for a player's level of skill in playing the game of solitaire. For the card game of solitaire, the shuffling of each hand of cards randomizes the order of the cards in the deck.
Other games for computers have been developed which depend upon the intellectual, psychosomatic and emotional state of a player. One such game is described in the Yamazaki et al. patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,110. The Yamazaki et al. patent describes a game machine that measures the psychosomatic and emotional state of a player and utilizes this information in order to adjust features of a pachinko game. The player's psychosomatic state is then one component used to make adjustment in the difficulty of the game.
The Frazer et al. patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,504,065, describes a detector pen that discriminates between areas on a printed substrate such as paper by detecting either magnetic energy, infrared energy, or electrical energy of different parts of a printed surface. The detector pen may be used on games such as quiz games in order to identify the selection of a correct answer.
The Tablan patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,068, describes a domino game where some of the domino pieces have rotatable or convertible end sections. The extra sides significantly enhance the complexity of the game of dominos.
The Breslow et al. patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,499, describes a video game in which images are controlled by a player. An image, such as a little person, places domino images on a screen to protect against interference by intruder images. The intruder images can produce a chain reaction of falling dominos. The player selects either a place mode that allows the player image to place additional dominos or a protect mode for protecting itself or the dominos from an intruder. Difficulty in the game may be increased by adjusting one or more of the complexity of the domino pattern, the time duration and the intruder images. The game does require a generation of data for placement of domino images and little person images at predetermined intervals in an array.
The Koza patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,686, describes the use of a non-linear genetic algorithm to solve problems.
The Wichinsky et al. patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,049, describes a gaming machine with a random selection feature and a skill feature. The game permits a player to initially play a game of chance having features of a conventional slot machine game. If the player loses a game of chance, a game of skill is activated. The game of skill has many features in common with a pinball type game.
Other games have been developed with a betting format having more than one step. A game, "Let It Ride," described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,081 describes a wagering game where the player places a three-part bet. Cards are then dealt by a dealer, two face down to the dealer and three face down to each player. Players inspect or "sweat" their cards and the dealer gives each player the choice of withdrawing or leaving a first part of the bet. Each player decides whether or not to withdraw and the dealer then turns over one of the cards and gives each player the option of withdrawing or leaving a second part of the bet. The players decide, their cards are shown and all remaining bets are resolved.
Another game developed by Mr. Richard Canfield earlier this century included steps of buying a deck of cards for fifty dollars and playing a game of Canfield solitaire. The player received five dollars for each card in the foundation at the end of the game. The player received $500 for moving all cards to foundation piles. This game is described in Hoyle's Rules and Games, edited by Albert Moorehead and Geoffrey Mott-Smith, published in 1946.